Trevor MacDonald seen here breastfeeding his infant son. (Milk Junkies)Sometimes when stay-at-home Winnipeg dad Trevor MacDonald breastfeeds his baby boy
in public, people stare. The reason is obvious. As a transgender man,
MacDonald was once a woman but now has a beard, flat chest, and appears male. Most people
have never seen a breastfeeding man before.

MacDonald writes a blog called Milk Junkies
about the trials and tribulations of attachment parenting and being a
breastfeeding dad. His story hit the mainstream news a couple of days ago
when he posted a letter from the breastfeeding support group La Leche League Canada
(LLLC) denying his application to become a group leader with the
organization.

The reason given for the denial was that the
organization's 18-year-old policy states that "Since an LLLC leader is a
mother who breastfed a baby, a man cannot become an LLLC leader." It
went on to explain that MacDonald identifies as a father, and that the
roles of mothers and fathers are not interchangeable.

Born a woman, MacDonald began hormone treatments four years ago, and
then later had chest reduction surgery. He stopped hormone treatments
when he decided he wanted to become pregnant and have a child. When his son was born, MacDonald had trouble nursing. He credits LLLC with
accepting him and his unique situation with open arms and for helping
him learn to breastfeed with the aid of a supplemental nursing system.

On his blog, MacDonald expressed his profound appreciation for the
help of LLLC and his desire to "some day reciprocate the compassion,
encouragement, and expertise that made such a difference to my personal
breastfeeding experience."

But it looks like he won't get that chance, at least not as a group leader at LLLC.

But not all experts agree. Helen Ward is the president of Kids First
Parents Association of Canada, a national charity that advocates around
childcare issues, and she stands by LLLC's decision.

"The Leche League has been an invaluable and totally unique resource
for so many women, and to compromise their work would be a massive loss
for children," says Ward.

She expresses concern that if MacDonald was allowed to lead, it
would open the door to all men, because even a man born
male can nurse a child with the assistance of a feeding tube like the
one that MacDonald uses.

"A born man could potentially also put that system on his chest and
feed his child, and that is not the goal of the Leche League," says
Ward. "Their goal is mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, and Trevor
is calling himself a father."

The public's response has also been mixed. In a Toronto Star poll
on the topic, 44 per cent think "a transgender parent should be
allowed to become a breastfeeding coach", while 56 per cent oppose the
idea.

Could breastfeeding dads become the new normal? MacDonald thinks so.
On his blog, he references another transgender nursing man, and says
that "my situation and his, although very unique today, will become
increasingly common in the future."

In the hopes of supporting these dads and others individuals who
might need help with breastfeeding, MacDonald has started his own
queer-friendly breastfeeding group that members will be able to access
via Skype, according to the National Post.

The group's Facebook page already has 185 members, an indication that perhaps MacDonald's unique situation may not be so unique after all.

Watch the video below about a father concern for his daughter in child beauty pageants.